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Why do successful creators use the ‘Plus Minus Next’ method to accelerate learning?
Break free from career stagnation with the Tiny Experiments framework by Anne-Laure Le Cunff. Learn to overcome the “Sequel Script,” launch low-stakes projects, and use the “Plus, Minus, Next” review system to discover work that energizes you. Stop ignoring your curiosity. Read the full guide below to design your first 30-day experiment and start building a career you actually love.
Anne-Laure woke up one day with a disturbing realization: she was successful—but deeply unhappy.
She had landed her dream job at Google, worked with a brilliant team, and was ascending the corporate ladder. On paper, everything looked perfect. But inside, something was off. Her unhappiness came from years of quietly suffocating her professional curiosity. Every time she contemplated a new path—like taking a university course unrelated to her job, starting a newsletter, or testing out a startup idea—she shut it down. She followed the linear path from school to steady promotions to a senior position at a company, but the predictable path started to feel like a prison. Ignoring your career curiosity is like disconnecting the smoke alarm in your house—it might seem harmless at first, but eventually, it becomes catastrophic.
Sadly, many of us can’t hear our inner curiosity alarm because it’s drowned out by two loud cognitive scripts that pull us toward professional misery:
- “The Sequel Script” is the story we tell ourselves that we must keep building on what we’ve already done. Like a movie studio that green-lights yet another sequel because the last one made money (the Fast and the Furious Film Series is on film 10), we repeat the same formula. Listening to the sequel script might lead to financial stability, but it rarely leads to mornings when you wake up energized by your work.
- “The Crowdpleaser Script” stems from a belief that we shouldn’t disappoint people or risk looking foolish. If we can’t easily justify a change to others, we maintain the status quo. In other words, we say no to unconventional paths because they might raise some eyebrows.
Together, these scripts lock us into a linear mindset and prevent us from exploring the unconventional and uncertain detours that may lead to a fulfilling career.
Tiny Experiments
Tiny Experiments are how you explore curiosity without quitting your job or blowing up your life. They’re short, focused, and designed to create momentum. Think of them as low-stakes tests with high upside potential.
Here are a few examples:
- 30 days of newsletters: Each morning, write a short piece on a topic you’re eager to master—like investing or AI. Each day, curate the latest news in your unique style or bring one key concept to people’s attention. This tiny experiment will work your creative muscles, accelerate learning, and build a body of work.
- 50 days of contribution: Offer daily help on Reddit or Discord on a topic you know well —a software program, solutions to specific workplace challenges, certain lifestyles, or a hobby you excel at. Your posts and replies could lay the groundwork for a future coaching career, or online course focused on your niche subject.
- 12 weeks of full-course meals for friends: Test out recipes that could one day fuel a food truck or restaurant.
Each Tiny Experiment is Time-bound (15–100 days), Output-focused (create something daily or weekly with zero reward expectations—no chasing views or likes), and Iterative (start simple, improve slightly each time).
The key is to select a tiny experiment based on something you want to learn and explore and then commit to a short time commitment (even 100 days is a blip in the span of your working life) where you’re bound to learn something new about yourself. The downside is minimal, but the upside could change your life. You might discover something that looks like work to others but feels like play to you. You may also find your tribe—people who want to hear what you say.
Plus, Minus, Next
There is one thing you can add to your tiny experiments to supercharge your learning: Once a week, set aside 10–15 minutes to create a document with three columns. Put a plus sign in the first column, a minus sign in the second, and an arrow in the third.
- In the Plus column, capture what’s working well. These are positive observations from your week of output, iteration, and experimentation. For example: “I really enjoy learning new video editing techniques.”
- In the Minus column, note what’s not working well. These are patterns or practices that feel off, clunky, or unproductive. In this column, you might write: “I’m skipping days because I haven’t blocked time in my calendar.”
- In the Next column, write your adjustments based on those insights. These are small, practical shifts to double down on what’s working and reduce friction. For example: “Generate a list of 10 video-editing techniques to try over the next 10 days.” Or “Wake up 45 minutes earlier to do my tiny experiment work.”
This simple weekly rhythm turns your Tiny Experiment into a feedback loop, so you’re not just doing the work but actively learning from it. That’s how you grow quickly, stay curious, and keep momentum going.